Motivation Monday

New Year’s Resolutions…

Did you know that New Years Resolutions originally came from the Babylonians, in 2600 BC???

I know we would like to think that it’s so “American”, but it originally was not.  The Babylonians got that one. Great tradition though, guys!

Needless to say, I made a New Years resolution to start a bunch of things. One, being getting more focused on my fitness and daily exercise!

This Morning’s Workout…

I worked out this morning! Woo Hoo! One of my “boxes”  got checked off! You see, I am a list person. A “check the box” kind of person. I do well with structure, and schedules. I haven’t always been that way, but since I have a busy husband, 4 kids, homeschool, a part-time job and my house chores…I have to be structured, or nothing get’s done!

I have had to write down what my priorities are, and try to make a daily schedule for myself. I think it is important to really look at your priorities and set them in the order that they need to be placed in. Writing it down is a way that I have discovered, works!

Here is an example of my daily schedule:

5:30 am-Wake up, drink coffee and have devotional time with Jesus

6:30 am-Stretch and work out

7:20 am-Take shower and get ready for the day

7:30/7:45 am- Make myself healthy breakfast while kids are waking up

8:00 am-Get kids moving with chores, teeth brushed, bed made etc. (great time to throw laundry in the wash, or other little chores)

8:30 am-Make breakfast for the kids

9:00 am-Start school. (we always start with the pledge of allegiance-and my kids DO NOT KNEEL FOR THE NATIONAL ANTHEM 🙂

12:00/12:30-Lunch time

If we get done with school before lunch (that’s a good day), then in the afternoon, I am able to work on my blog, finish house chores, run errands or meal plan.

Afternoons are usually my “up-in-the-air time”. That’s when I am able to get most things done. That’s also when my daughter naps, so it works out great.

5:30 pm- Start dinner. Planning your weekly meals ahead of time, makes dinner a breeze! I never have to think about what I need to make, I just have the ingredients in the fridge all ready for me (be looking out for my post on MEAL-PLANNING. Coming soon!)

6:30/7:00 pm-Dinner time. Sometimes the hubby isn’t back for dinner at that time, but I always try to make dinner anyways, so that I can use the leftovers for his lunches (Be on the lookout for my post “How to make lunches for your hubby-the easy way.” Coming soon!)

8:00 pm-kids bed time! “FREEDOM, FREEDOM!!!!!”

So, there you have it! I try to stick to that schedule, as much as I can. The beauty of homeschool and being a SAHW (stay at home wife), is the potential flexibility. But, I do well with sticking to that schedule, and it really makes me enjoy Saturdays, because I don’t have a schedule for Saturdays!

Starting your day out right..

Notice how my day STARTS with time alone and in the Bible? That is the most important priority for me, because if I am not where I need to be with God, you can bet that I won’t be right in my daily life!

My next priority is my husband and then my kids.

But, because being physically fit is also a priority, I have to include in my “alone time” to be able to execute that priority. Something that I have learned, is that if I don’t do it before the kids are awake, it won’t happen. Hence, the early morning workouts. 🙂

“What’s important to you will show.” -Z

Since my baby girl (almost 2 years old) was born, I haven’t been as serious as I would like to have been, about being fit. A lot has happened in my life where I could easily justify not taking care of myself physically, but I won’t.

Justification can be a dangerous thing. At least for me. I really have no excuses anymore. I always say that, “what’s important to you will show”. So, I need to start really practicing what I preach.

The Workout

Attached is a weekly workout that I will be doing for the next 2 weeks, as I do a 2 week Fuel Cycle (refer to the Trim Healthy Mama book).  I will be posting pictures of the scrumptious food I will be eating, and recording body changes.

If anyone is interested in doing it with me…please do! Comment below and I will try to help!

I completed this workout this morning and it felt great! I added in heavier weights then I am suggesting to you. Unless you have been accustomed to lifting heavy weights, I do not suggest starting there, no matter how “strong” you may feel.

The workout that I designed for y’all is a “lighter version” of what I am doing. I will be using heavier weights for all my workouts, but you can follow along with the workout on this post. Be sure to use proper form, and also to stretch before and after the workout! (See disclaimer below).

Here it is…..

SS stands= Super Set. It basically means to do the sets (usually the two or three types of different workouts) 3 times.

W/20’s, w/10’s= Means to use 20 lb weights in each hand, or 10 lb weights in each hand. Unless specified.

Im excited for you to start this journey with me! Feel free to give me any feedback on your exercises!

Good Luck!

Disclaimer:  zhealthyhousewife.com strongly recommends that you consult with your physician before beginning any exercise program. You should be in good physical condition and be able to participate in the exercise. Zaneta Francis and zhealthyhousewife.com is not a licensed medical care provider and represents that it has no expertise in diagnosing, examining, or treating medical conditions of any kind, or in determining the effect of any specific exercise on a medical condition. You should understand that when participating in any exercise or exercise program, there is the possibility of physical injury. If you engage in this exercise or exercise program, you agree that you do so at your own risk, are voluntarily participating in these activities, assume all risk of injury to yourself, and agree to release and discharge zhealthyhousewife.com and Zaneta Francis from any and all claims or causes of action, known or unknown, arising out of zhealthyhousewife.com negligence.